The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-03-17
SITUATION FOR THE GROVE.
Latitude AIene N.i the Deciding fsesos
In Grow Ing Oranges.

in Grow Ing Oranges.
From an essay on Orange Growing"
read by 4. II. Mspvill-. before the
Farmer. Institute al DE Funiak last
week. We extract lle following
The remaining point to la considered
i'm iocating a grove II most important Of
ali. NJ matter how fine the fruit. ii il
is liable to ire frozen If left on the tree
through Deremter and January. IL must
In gathered and forced on the market
early IN the SEASON. regardless of prevail
ing prices. ar stored at considerable eN-
pense and risk.
Tine is.,tllerinai condition at the locgli-
ty or district should first he considered.
Tor IL IL II fact that many places in the
State are less liable la severe cold than
other places in the same latitude. for
which there In no apparent reason tu the
casual observer. Take, for instance. the
lower east coast. The well-kDown inn
muni;y from frost of this region to-
gether with the superior quality ot fruit
produced, enables the growers o. hid.
their time IN the matter of shiIp.ng and
to command the top price tot the ,.-ason.
a manifest advantage.
Large boiies of water to the north
west are great protection from cold,
unless IL Is of such protraci-d duration
during the great freeze of the year is,6,
when large lakes which had afforded
effectual protection ever sine. orange
trees were planted for profit in florida
lost their power to modify the t"mpergi-
tdre on their southeast shores.
Relative altitude In a great advantage
i'm c.,.e Of heavy fros,s. which sonnet imes
do great damage, but avaiis nothing
against "A severe freeze.
from cold. Scattered through grove
at regular and frequent intervals they
may II. considered in most sections of
the orange belt a complete protection.
Alternate strips or belt, of timber can be
So arranged as To have the same effect.
But the influence of such belts il not ~
far reaching as II sometimes supposed
have found them complete protection
where the forest trees were al average
height, for a distance of about seventy
five feet north and south of the timber,
and equally effective in both directions.
but where further apart than one hun
dred and fifty feet the severe forst would
settle down in the centers beyond th q
influence Of the timber very heavily.
IL will only pay to plant orange trees
under forest trees upon rich, low soil.
capable of sustaining both and not sns-
ceptible Ia drought. Whether il will
pay generally 10 plant forest trees in our
groves To grow up with the orange trees
and protest them Is an open question
which time alone can settle.
have referred Ia the lower east coast
as possessing favorable conditions for
orange growing simply because il il a
familiar instance, not because of any
lack of equally favorable situations in
other localities. We find them ON the
west coast and throughout the interior.
The Citra region, with the immense
groves of Harris. Bishop and Others. IN
right IN point. and many instances might
le given Of groves under such favorable
conditions which are paying well now
notwithstanding the prevailing low
prices. On rich, welI-watered lands
practically exempt from cold that will
inJure tree or fruit, orange growing IL
to-day an exceedingly profitable invest
meet IN speculative sense, and some
who own groves 80 situated, are now
realizing a net profit annually equal to
the entire original investment. But
these are exceptional situations. Where
natural conditions are less favorable but
may Ike readily supplied by artificial
ble business. Descending the scale Of
natural advantages in soil and situation,
We find at lower points the orange IL "A
valuable adjunct to other agricultural
operations and even profitable as n main
crop when the grower IL content with a
fair remuneration for actual labor. But
still going down, we find oranges, lots of
them, growing under circumstances of
location that from the present outlook
certainly do not promise even To r"mu-
nerate the grower for his labor.
Inquiring Of a native orange grower a
short time since. the reason why he and
his neighbors were seeking to exchange
their places near town and in the settle
ment, for what seemed to me less eligi-
bile property because more remotee, lac
replied that since the decline in the or
ange market, they found il Impossible to
maintain the fertility Of their lands
without Am outlay which absorbed all
their profits. But surrounded by open
lands they could keep stock on tbArange
for this purpose, and also Ia avail them
selves Of the forest leaves which were to
ie had for raking. they cOuld keep up
their fences at less expense, et4 etc,
he added by way Of conclusion, that
outside" places would come into greater
demand in the near future.
IL is not my purpose to take uu tn de-
tail the various classes OF land ann quail
tiles of soil and subsoii and their relative
adaptabilify to orange growing: all this
is pretty accurately laid down in the
standard works on the subject. But ]
wish 10 point out the fact which has
been too generally overlooked that stu
alton Is an important factor i'm success
full orange growing. That soil. exposure,
and other natural advantages which we
include in the term situation are just as
important in locating an orange grove In
Florida as they are in locating an orange
grove in California, an apple orchard in
MinnnesOta or a peach orchard in Della
ware.